"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the fair at 10am at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) here," Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said at a press conference at the fair secretariat on Tuesday afternoon.
"We’re trying to make the fair of an international standard one. The process began from this year," he said.
Tipu Munshi said they tried to ensure a better environment this year compared to previous years and so they increase the entry fee.
About the permanent fair venue at Purbachal, he said work on it is yet to be completed. “We couldn’t complete the work on the venue. So, we have to continue the fair for the next several years at Agargaon."
A total of 483 stalls and pavilions will showcase quality products from home and abroad at the fair this year. Of them, 112 are pavilions, 128 mini pavilions and 243 are stalls.
Different companies from 21 countries, including the USA, the UK, Italy, Australia, Germany, China, South Africa, Turkey, the UAE, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Pakistan and Brunei will take part in the fair.
The fair will remain open from 10am to 9:30pm every day till January 31. Entry fee has been fixed at Tk 40 for the adults while Tk 20 for children, an increase by Tk 10 from last year.
The export earnings from the fair were US$19.46 million in 2019 while US $35.50 million in 2018, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
The traditional month-long fair starting on the first day of the New Year in the Gregorian calendar has been jointly organised by the EPB and the Commerce Ministry since 1995.